


Peace Offering

by The_North_Star



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, M/M, and out of character for Ezran I'm so sorry, here you go tho, i wanted to get this out of my head so i could sleep, i will fix this in the morning, more Tinker Elf stuff wooohoo, not edited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-23 06:20:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16153373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_North_Star/pseuds/The_North_Star
Summary: "I’m sorry his arm is gone, I’m sorry he and the others were returned to their families in the shape they were in, I’m sorry that you’re not sleeping just so you can finish his arm, I’m sorry I couldn’t stop any of it,  I would’ve.  Probably could’ve.  I’m a prince after---”“---You’re a boy.”----It starts out as a favor for a friend and turns into a look at two lives suddenly forced in the same direction.





	Peace Offering

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry, this isn't edited and it's short but i wanted to get this out of my head so I can sleep. Will fix everything when I've rested up. Until then, please enjoy. 
> 
> I have no idea where i got the name for Tinker Elf. Honestly, just pulled it out of thin air, found it sounded pretty, and decided, 'fuck it, it works'
> 
> also there's lots of talking. this isn't edited and its a little out of character for Ezran but i'm tired, please have mercy
> 
> also, to all y'all that got me hooked on The Dragon Prince: thank you so much but also why

“AUGH!”  
  
Ezran nearly drops the little basket he’s carrying in his left hand, squeezing his toad under his right arm for dear life.  
  
“I’m sorry!”  
  
“Small Prince?Wha?Wha are---oh, stars, nearly stopped my heart, ye did!”  
  
In the dim light of a worktable lamp said Prince stares up at a now-relieved moonshadow elf, who blows a lock of coppery-gold hair out of his face before taking a deep breath and kneeling to Ezran’s height.  
  
“Wha’ brings ye here small Prince?Wha’ave you there?”  
  
‘There’ sits a basket of little bread-cake things with orange swirls on them, some smoked meat wrapped in herbs, and a short stopped pot of tea of some kind, probably.  
  
“I haven’t seen you ever since I got here”, he replies, deciding honesty as the best policy to this elf.“My brother hasn’t, Rayla hasn’t, even Runaan hasn’t, although he still hasn’t woken up.Rayla mentioned that you haven’t left your workshop and she sounded worried, and I don’t like it when she worries, and she had to take care of assassin things or whatever so she couldn’t come in, and it’s already nighttime and everyone else has eaten or will eat dinner and you probably haven’t, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to make sure you had something because I’ve never been hungry and I can’t imagine it’s fun and she hasn’t eaten because she’s worried about Runaan and the other elves who are hurt and her appetite is gone so I offered to bring food to you so she wouldn’t be concerned about leaving Runaan and---”  
  
He takes a deep breath as he clasps Bait close to his chest.  
  
“----that’s why I’m here and why I have some food for you.That’s all.”  
  
The tinker elf stares back at him for a few moments before his golden eyes crinkle at the corners and he laughs.  
  
“Ahhh, small Prince, heh---ye remind me a lot of myself when I was your age, maybe e’en younger.Used te ramble, I did, talking like a brook that ne’er stops flowing, ne’er stopped lest I got a certain look from folks.”  
  
“What’s a brook?Is that like a river?”  
  
“Yeh, young one, tha’s another word fer a river.Guess tha’s exclusive to us elves.”He gets up, looking over to his meal, tucked safely under a green cloth in the basket.  
  
“Well...come with me, small Prince”, says the tinker.  
  
“Wait, what?”  
  
“Yeh, come with me.If ye like.Ye’ve ne’er seen the inside of my workshop, ‘ave ye?Ye also want te ensure I’ve eaten, yeh?Can’t ‘ave Rayla, or Runaan, stars forbid, yap a’ me for missing a meal.”  
  
“I’m Ezran.And they should ‘yap’ at you because food is important to all living beings and they want you to be healthy.”  
  
The elf’s face deflates a little.“Oh, stars, ye just like them.Damn it all.Well now ye _must_ come with me to my workshop because _appaaaar-rently_ I’ve got to appease ye as well.Also I’ve got something I wanna show ye.”He picks up the basket and turns around to walk further into the house, then looks back to the crown Prince.  
  
“Oh, and I’m Tenere.It’s nice to meet ye, ye Highness.”  
  
Tenere walks and Ezran follows.  
  
The house is on the small side, certainly nowhere as large as the castle, but the ceilings are tall and supported on dark red wood that’s almost black.It feels like the winter lodge, but lived in. Stone walls, made of some sort of light golden-brown rock, hold up the house, and they come to a fireplace.  
Ezran raises an eyebrow, but with an almost smug grin from Tenere he manages to wedge the fireplace off from the rest of the wall, revealing a secret room hidden behind.  
  
“Woah.It’s almost like a room we have in the castle.”  
  
He stops, quickly looking to the moonshadow elf closing the fireplace-door.  
  
“I probably shouldn’t have said that.”  
  
“Every castle, it seems, ‘as one, if not more. But ye royals can’t ‘ave all the fun.And who do ye think installs these amazing other worlds into your homes?”  
  
He smiles and points.“People like you!Er, elves like you.”  
  
Tenere doesn’t care for the slip-up.“Exactly!”  
  
He sets down the basket on the emptiest section of the table and begins to move some of the tools, noting the Prince eyeing every little thing with wonder.  
  
“Would ye like fer me to tell ye ab’ut my tools?”  
  
“Can...may I touch some of the tools?I promise I won’t break them, or even take them off the table.You don’t have to say yes.”  
  
A bark of laughter from the tinker as he heads to a little cabinet near the furnace adjacent to the table, and Ezran notes that aside from the single lamp on this workspace, the furnace is the only light in the workshop.  
  
“Tha’s the beauty of my sort of tools, small Prince.They themselves can withstand heat from most fires an’ being dropped an’ stepped on.Your little frog friend can chew my best pliers up and I’d still be able to fix a necklace.”  
  
A quick glance and he finds Tenere next to him, as if he hadn’t crossed a considerable distance, washed his hands, then came back.  
“Feel free to pick them up, move them a little, make sure the handles face ye always, just don’t point them at yer eyes is all.”  
  
The prince places Bait down on a nearby stool.“What’s under that towel, if you don’t mind me asking?”  
  
The towel is a thick cloth with a long shape underneath, crowded by tools and little papers with numbers and lines drawn in blue and red ink.  
  
“That....tha’s wha’ I wanted to show ye.Go ahead, yer Highness, take a peek.”  
  
He goes to the other end of the table and carefully lifts the cloth.  
  
“It’s an _arm_!”  
  
A closer look.  
  
“Oh.I’m sorry.It’s an arm, but not a real one. I mean, it’s real, it’s there, I can see it, touch it, but it _is_ an arm.Is it made of metal?That’s amazing, it looks so real. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.Why’s there an arm on your worktable?I hope no one else saw this and also thought it was a flesh arm.”  
  
Tenere presses his lips together to keep himself from laughing.  
“Astute observation, young Ezran. _Yes_ , it is an arm.Made of a combination of steel plates an’ parts, and dragon scales; you can see the scales in the joints mostly, to be able to bend but still be strong enough for frequent use.It’s a prototype, just a trial arm...but one needs to start somewhere, hmm?It’s important after all.”  
  
The question flies out of Ezran before he can stop himself.  
  
“Is it for Runaan?”  
  
Silence is the only response for what feels like a half a night, but is really only a few moments. Ezran feels like a jerk.  
  
He remembers that suddenly hectic day.Ten days had passed since then.He had to get all the details from Callum and Rayla and boy, was it quite the story.  
  
Commander Gren had been imprisoned alongside Runaan, and with the (definitely reluctant) help of Aunt Amaya both of them managed to escape prison. But Runaan’s binding had embedded itself into his arm and got infected, and during the prison break the arm nearly cost him the rescue.  
  
His Aunt found only one way to help him and had cut his arm off.Runaan had accepted it, according to Commander Gren, basically saying how he deserved it, how Aunt Amaya rightfully avenged her brother-in-law, claiming to already be dead.  
Both of them showed up in the moonshadow elf village covered in blood, and that was all he clearly saw as Callum scooped him up and out of sight.Away from the sounds of worried elves and Rayla yelling and trying not to cry.  
  
“I’m sor--”  
  
“---It is.It’s for him.The reason I ‘aven’t seen the sun for a while, why I’ve locked myself here in my workshop.Can’t sleep; not until it’s perfect.”  
  
Ezran looks back down at the metal arm, at his blue eyes reflected in a section of gold-brushed steel. “Well, I’m sorry for bringing it up.That was mean of me, not to mention kinda dumb.”  
  
The tinker elf halfheartedly nibbles a corner of a breadcake and doesn’t reply.  
  
“It’s....it’s also my fault, sort of.Well, my brother and I, but I was the specific target since both my parents were royals.I mean, it’s my fault about Runaan, and the others too. If the humans hadn’t stolen the egg of the dragon prince, the elves wouldn’t have a reason to try and kill my family.”  
  
He takes a breath, swallows the weird lump in his throat, and blinks back tears that haven’t yet formed.  
“And if there wasn’t a reason to have us dead, the assassins, Runaan and Rayla included, wouldn’t have had a reason to use a binding oath and getting hurt in the process.We’d all still be alive _and_ Runaan would still have his arm, and....and I’m sorry.I’m sorry his arm is gone, I’m sorry he and the others were returned to their families in the shape they were in, I’m sorry that you’re not sleeping just so you can finish his arm, I’m sorry I couldn’t stop any of it,I would’ve.Probably could’ve.I’m a prince after---”  
  
“---You’re a boy.”  
Tenere is the one crying, trails following the markings down each eye. He quickly takes a cup of whatever what was in the pot, drains it in one drink, and slams the cup on the worktable.  
  
“You’re a child!Only a child.So is Rayla.So is yer brother.All children, fighting a war we old, bitter ones started!Runaan and I are long in years.The humans, yer father included, also long in years, though nowhere as long as us.But it was us, us that started this war.  
The humans that couldn’t control the Dark Mage, the elves that decided, somehow, that all humans were Dark Mages also and split Xadia.  
Losing a limb was a risk that Runaan and the others were aware of, tha‘ all warriors are aware of and were willing to take.Other warriors have lost just as much, usually much more.And tha‘ was our doing.We were responsible for that.”  
  
The elf grinds the heel of his palm into his eyes.  
  
“When I learned of Runaan and what he wanted to do, I didn’t like it, but I knew I couldn’t stop him.An’ when Rayla wanted to go an’ set her mind to it, I resigned myself to having to let them go an’ hoping an‘ praying they’d come back alive. An‘ they did, an‘ I’m so grateful.  
But I’m also angry, so angry, because I didn’t think they’d be foolish enough to use a binding oath.Especially on one like Rayla.She’s only a child, only killed animals fer food, ne’er fer vengeance.  
An‘ Runaan, my hardheaded beloved, expected her to be a killer of people, of creatures tha’ talk, tha’ can reason, not seeing her as a protector, like her parents.I’ve told him.I’ve told him only a million times an‘ the one time he doesn’t listen....”  
  
Tenere pulls a corner of his sleeve and wipes his face dry.In the time he had poured out his feelings, Ezran could only listen and pat Bait.  
  
A beat of quiet.  
  
“Huh, sorry for tha’, small Prince.Didn’t mean to ruin yer night.”  
  
“Yeah, see, that’s my fault. Still.And....it’s alright, I’ve seen crying before.I’m not uncomfortable.I wish I could help, usually, but I’m not uncomfortable.”  
  
He cracks a tiny smile, leaving his food and coming over to the metal arm.In the light of the single lamp Ezran sees just how the last few days have affected him.  
  
The elf has the same skin tone as his father, and he’s seen the circles around the king’s green eyes whenever he doesn’t sleep well. How deep and almost sickly-looking they can be.  
  
And the shadow around his eyes has apparently spread to his face, even on his copper-gold markings.Dimmed as if running low on oil. A slow, tired blink confirms his lack of sleep.  
  
“You should rest.It’s really nice, beautiful even, but you should rest.”  
  
“Now, now, small Prince, I’m close to finishing this arm.I want it to work like the real thing.Almost like the real thing.”  
  
“I really think you should, Sir Tenere---”  
  
Pointed ears perk up despite his fatigue.“Am I a Sir, now?A member of yer court?Should I be honored, yer Highness?”  
  
Ezran smiles.“I was taught to refer to simple titles like that in case I didn’t exactly know how to greet people.When this is all over, you are totally allowed to come to the castle.You could be the Royal Tinker.You’d be the first elf to serve such a position.”  
  
“Ach, what a honor!I would be pleased to serve as an...ambassador...between the humans an’ elves.I’ll assemble metal limbs and hidden rooms all with yer insignia, small Prince.”He says it almost jokingly, but the crinkle near his eyes gives away his true feelings.  
  
“Wish there were two cups in this basket, could’ve made a toast to tha’...”  
  
He goes to pick a sleeping Bait off the stool.  
  
“Sir Tenere....”  
  
“Yeh, ye Highness...?”  
  
“You....don’t hate the humans?Or mistrust us?I....I haven’t known you very long, but you’re much more welcoming than some of the other elves.In fact, my Aunt, the General, and her Commander decided to go back instead of stay in the village overnight.When they brought back Runaan and the others.Because the elves didn’t want them to stay.They barely handled my brother and I staying, and it was literally because Rayla begged them.”  
  
Tenere had gone back to his little meal to finish it, pouring himself another cup.He didn’t answer right away, face scrunched up deep in thought.  
  
“Hmmm.Come closer, please, small Prince.”When Ezran complies, he bends down a little and holds his hand out.Four fingers, just like all the elves, with golden markings along his wrist and the top of his hand.His skin is about as dark as his father’s, and there’s lighter skin on his palm.  
  
“Place your hand against mine.”He hesitates but holds out his own hand.His skin is a little lighter with a few freckles, five fingers, and his skin is also pale on his palms and the areas his fingers would grab.The tinker lines their hands up in the light.  
  
“Look at wha’ we ‘ave in common.Jointed fingers, with one thumb on each hand. One face, two arms, two legs, one chest and stomach attached. You and I have are almost the same color.  
We are different species, but it seems there are more things tha’ are same to us than things tha’ are different.An’ ye know Xadia used to be one land.Tha’ ‘used to be‘ isn’t all tha’ long ago. An’ since we shared a home, we share other things too. And elves an‘ humans ‘ave done this since the dawn of time.Is one single human enough to break apart wha‘ had worked since our existence?”  
  
He stops to finish his breadcake.  
“We elves like to boast ‘bout how humans are savage an‘ selfish an‘ stupid an‘ all terrible things, but we elves are jus‘ as vulnerable to ev’ry single error as the humans.Your people ‘ave done wrong.So ‘ave my people.There will ne’er be a perfect, end-all answer or solution to our conflict, but we could work together an‘ fight it ‘stead of wasting our potential an‘ fighting each other.”  
  
“Thank you!”, Ezran retorts before clapping his hand over his mouth.  
  
“Sorry. I mean, thank you.I agree with you.But it’s hard when too many people don’t think that.They’d rather fight each other than fight together.I wish no one had to fight, but....”  
  
Tenere sighs sadly. “I wish no one ‘ad to fight either, small Prince.As I said, there is no miracle cure to all this.”  
  
He unexpectedly scarfs down a piece of meat from the basket, making his way back to the metal arm shining on the table.Ezran follows him, tiptoeing to get a better look.  
  
From the angle he’s at he sees little circular things in the joints, under the dragon scales, that remind him of wheels turning in a mill.The scales are blue, like Zym’s scales, though they don’t have the white edge or the shimmer that the dragon prince has.  
  
Tenere picks up the arm, inspecting something near its silver palm, and he gets a good look at the base that would attach to the severed stump of someone that lost an arm.There’s a line of glowing crystals, smoothed down, attached to wires that crisscross over the base.The base contains an outer ring of steel and several notches attaching two small belts, most likely to keep the arm on for heavier use.  
  
Underneath the arm are some exposed sections, showing what looks like ropes connecting the two parts of the arm to the ‘elbow‘ joint, cushioned with dragon scales that would bend better and probably not get locked up or rust over.A grate of yellow-gold metal adds a layer of protection over everything in the arm, barely hiding the glow of other crystals.  
  
The most interesting part are the runes etched into the top of the hand, each finger, near each joint, and around the base that attaches to the body of the wearer. The scales are smoother than he thought, and maintain a round, smooth shape even when bent completely.He sees a small mesh that looks like chain mail under the scales and it makes sense.The scales are flat and attached to the chain mail, not just jutting out like tarts shoved in a basket.  
  
“I’ll fix this lovely up, make him completely silver, to match the blue scales an’ crystals.What do ye think so far, your Highness?I still ‘ave so much to fix... ”  
  
“It looks perfect to me.It probably already works.”  
  
Tenere swallows.“Am I being....condescending?Insulting to Runaan?”  
  
The prince feels his eyebrows hit his forehead.“What?”  
  
“Suppose the arm doesn’t work.Or perhaps it works but only fer a little bit.Then Runaan is left as he is now.An’ I love him an’ always will, but....am I insulting him by making him this arm?Am I sending the message tha’ he will ne’er be the same or functional or worth anything again since he doesn’t ‘ave a flesh arm anymore?Should I put this thing to rest, help him to adjust not having tha’ second arm?”  
  
“I don’t know, to be honest.We won’t know until Runaan wakes up.His feelings about it all will be most important.I don’t doubt the arm will be perfect; maybe he’ll like it, maybe he won’t.  
I have a friend, deep in the mountains, and she lost a leg but learned to live with it and above all, she was happy.It was other people that needed to see her with a ‘fake’ leg to be happy, or relieved, or whatever.But they didn’t think of what she felt.  
Runaan will be the same.It won’t matter whether the arm works or not. He has you, and Rayla, and others.He handled being in prison, he can definitely handle having one arm.”  
  
Ezran reaches his hand to gently lower the arm back onto the table.“It makes no sense trying to work with what you don’t know.Rest, recover, and when you know what he needs you can help him.”  
  
This leaves Tenere in a shocked silence.Ezran awkwardly reaches over to cover the arm with the towel again. When the elf blinks himself back into the moment, he huffs, his face relaxing.  
  
“Tha’ is....insightful, small.Ne’er thought tha’ way.I sometimes forget tha’ I’m not all powerful.A workaholic, ye might say.”  
  
He picks up the lamp from the table, places everything from the basket back into it, and rushes to turn down the furnace to a tiny flame, placing a grate over it.  
  
“I will take yer advice, yer Highness.Fer tonight, at the very least.”  
  
“Thank you”, Ezran replies.“Now.....how to get out of here.No offense, you have an awesome workshop, but my brother, Zym, Bait, Rayla, and I are, uh, crashing at a lodge belonging to one of the Sun Elf leaders.”  
  
“Irzulei”, the tinker says, leading Ezran out the way they came, basket held in the arm like the way he carried Bait.  
“Her name is Irzulei, and she’s my cousin.She doesn’t trust like I do, but unlike some other elves in relation to humans, she’s very reasonable.Please behave while staying with her, an’ if ye wish to continue living, leave her forge and workshop untouched, yeh?She’s nothing like me when it comes to anyone in her workspaces.”  
  
Ezran nods in clear understanding and Tenere takes him outside.The egg-shaped moon shines over a quiet village, and a short distance leads to the lodge owned by Lady Irzulei herself.  
  
“Would ye like me to escort ye there?Least I can do after ye brought me food.”  
  
“...Alright, but you must swear that you’ll actually stop work and sleep when you get home.Like your family.”  
  
He holds one hand up.“I swear on my family and the planting moon that I will rest for the sake of my family and my work.”  
  
The prince smiles, hugging his toad closer to him.“Then lead the way, Royal Tinker.”  
  
And as Tenere locks his front door and leads the Crown Prince of Katolis back to the lodge, Ezran springs more questions that leads to whispered answers about what the planting moon is and how a certain moonshadow elf was spared losing a hand because of another prince.  
  
END 


End file.
